Probing Singapore, One Play At A Time

AS A THEATRE COMPANY, W!ld Rice has never shied away from staging polemical plays that may split audiences. Whether tackling opposition politics (Public Enemy), the elections (Cooling-Off Day), the impact of language policies (Grandmother Tongue) or queer issues (Asian Boys trilogy), the company strives to take the pulse of the nation and respond to its concerns.

Its upcoming flagship event, the Singapore Theatre Festival, encapsulates its current and abiding interests. From July 5 to 22, the festival features eight ticketed plays and free forums and performances that look at topical issues such as the media landscape, migrant workers, racism and the last days of the so-called Thieves' Market on Sungei Road.

The most anticipated play among them is former journalist Tan Tarn How's first play in seven years, titled Press Gang. The play is set in a newsroom and tells the story of a group of journalists and editors who must decide whether to run a scandalous story involving the Prime Minister's wife. As with a few of Tan's previous plays such as Fear Of Writing and Undercover, the play tackles issues pertaining to freedom and censorship. Press Gang will be directed by W!ld Rice's artistic director Ivan Heng.

Also expected to make a splash is Thomas Lim's Supervision which centres on the privacy and dignity of domestic workers that are often violated by distrustful employers. Lim broke into the scene in 2016 when his terrific play Grandmother Tongue, an acerbic look at the impact of Singapore's language policies, became the unexpected hit of the year. Supervision will be directed by veteran helmer Glen Goei.

Heng, who is the joint festival director along with playwright Alfian Sa'at, says: "The festival is committed to developing and presenting new plays which are about the contemporary society we live in. And so we often find the plays which reflect on hot button issues of the day - issues which people might be thinking about but don't talk about in public because we may not have the time, courage, or the language to articulate the problem."

Accompanying these plays will be lively forum discussions and free performances held during the weekend at the festival venue in Lasalle College of the Arts. One forum involves the topic of press freedom in Singapore, while another looks at the social and legal obstacles that prevent migrant workers from being treated more fairly. There will also be a free public reading of short plays written by migrant workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines who have been guided by veteran playwright Haresh Sharma.

Heng explains: "One focus of the festival is on migrant workers. Singapore would not be enjoying our progress and prosperity if not for the continuing contributions of these workers who are an integral part of the modern Singapore family. We want to encourage conversation and debate about how this community may be better recognised, acknowledged and integrated... Ultimately,- the festival hopes to provide a safe space for us to come together, explore views and experiences other than our own, and envisage possibilities."

The Singapore Theatre Festival runs from July 5 to 22 at Lasalle College of the Arts. For more details, go to www.SingaporeTheatreFestival.com. Purchase tickets from Sistic. Early bird discounts of up to 20 percent are available from now till May 16.

EIGHT PLAYS TO WATCH

1. PRESS GANG JULY 5-15

When a scandal erupts around a very powerful figure, a group of journalists must decide how or if to run the story. Written by veteran playwright Tan Tarn How, this political play is the hot ticket of festival. It is directed by Ivan Heng and boasts a star-studded cast that includes T. Sasitharan, Benjamin Chow and Oniatta Effendi.

2. SUPERVISION JULY 5-15

Is it right for an employer to set-up a closed-circuit TV to spy on her domestic helper? What right does the latter have to her privacy? These questions are asked in Supervision, an exciting new social drama by hot young playwright Thomas Lim. The play is directed by Glen Goei and stars Farhana M Noor, Janice Koh and Patrick Teoh.

3. BUILDING CHARACTER JULY 5-8

Building A Character looks at racism in the arts. The play stars Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, a beautiful and talented young actress who struggles to find roles on stage and screen because most casting calls want only "Chinese or Pan-Asian" actresses. The play is written by Ruth Tang and directed by New York-based helmer Mei Ann Teo.

4. GFE JULY 12-15

GFE stands for "Girl Friend Experience", in which a sex worker would pretend to be emotionally attached to her client so that the client may have a more intimate experience. Writer-performer Chong Woon Yong stars in this one-man show about a man who pays for a GFE, but experiences something else instead. A double-bill with When The Cold Wind Blows.

5. WHEN THE COLD WIND BLOWS JULY 12-15

For some men, their experience of National Service - a period of compulsory conscription for all male Singaporeans - never leaves them. Joshua Lim stars as a man still haunted by his time in Pulau Tekong, when he became a man he's not proud of recalling. The play is written by Neo Hai Bin and directed by Thong Pei Qin. A double-bill with GFE.

6. AN ACTRESS PREPARES JULY 19-22

One of the Singapore's favourite stage actresses, Siti Khalijah Zainal stars in this one-woman show about her life in theatre, from her earliest experience of performing Chinese dance in school, to her later critical triumphs - despite being labelled "too big" for lead roles. The play is written by Alfian Sa'at and directed by Alin Mosbit.

7. FAGHAG JULY 19-22

Not all the festival's plays tackle serious issues. This one centres on comedy actress Pam Oei, a self-professed "fag hag" - a slang term for a woman who loves the company of gay men. Oei traces her long history with gay men, whom she says she's always been "irresistibly drawn" to even before she or they knew the meaning of the word "gay".

8. ONE METRE SQUARE: VOICES FROM SUNGEI ROAD JULY 19-22

For 80 years, Sungei Road was the site of Singapore's oldest flea market where you'd find old cassette tapes, yellowings books, worn shoes, rusty watches and other discarded trinkets that went for a song. Before the market was closed in 2017, playwright Cheow Boon Seng carried out interviews with its vendors to stitch together this verbatim play.